Hot and Cold Running Penguins:

Mostly in December the Pens have tended toward the cold sign.

Marc Andre Fleury, the Tower of Flower Power is not especially pleased with the performance of the entire team, himself included. The unusual thing is, that he's actually talking to the media about it. (or at least Rob Rossi at the Trib) "The past month has been pretty tough," Flower said after the Hab's game," We've usually been pretty constant. That's what got us to the Stanley Cup Final. That's what we need to do every game."

"We have to start with the group of guys we have. We have to go out and play hard." I don't think he'll find much argument there. No one is looking to the absent members of the team as an excuse for the lack of effort. (which beats my job, whoever's not there ALWAYS gets the blame) Some comment is made that they Pens are actually better in the standings than they were this time last year. Guys, you can't count on last year... it never happened, last year is dead and gone, last game is dead and gone. FIDO people (F%$k It, Drive On) We can't play this season with last season's stats. Even if the Pens had won the Cup, it wouldn't help them win this one.

On to Other Things: The Yo-Yo that plays hockey like a man, Jeff Taffe has been named the AHL Player of the Week. Mostly because everyone else already had it. No, really Taffe is sitting third in AHL scoring and last week (38 points) and he scored 2 goals and 7 assists in only 3 games last week. Whatever level you're playing at that's good shootin' Tex.

The Return of Lemieux: Ok don't get too excited. Les Manifique isn't dusting off his skates and donning the Fighting Penguin. The 'original' pest is slowly clawing his way back into the NHL. Claude Lemieux has inched ever so much closer to actually taking his walker (he's 43) out onto the ice with a new 2-way contract with the San Jose' Sharks. If you've never seen this guy play, just think of a combination of Yaarko Ruutu and (strangely enough) Sean Avery but without the off-ice crap. He's won 4 Stanley Cups, with 3 different teams and really seemed to shine in the play-offs, he won the Conn Smythe with the Debbils, but that was 13 years ago.

Ok gonna cut this one short (using stolen equipment) but I'll be back around...